1. The difficult winter of 1609–1610 in Jamestown, when many colonists died from lack of food, is known as what?
- A. The Great Freeze
- B. The Long Winter
- C. The Starving Time
- D. The Winter of Sorrow
2. Many early English colonists came to North America dreaming of freedom and wealth, but what did they often find instead?
- A. Large cities built by previous explorers.
- B. A difficult daily life filled with hardship and disease.
- C. An immediate and peaceful alliance with all local tribes.
- D. Fertile land that was very easy to farm.
3. What was a major challenge shared by the early settlers in both the Jamestown and Plymouth colonies?
- A. Finding large amounts of gold
- B. Fighting a war with Spain
- C. Surviving the first winter
- D. Building large ships for trade
4. What were the two most common causes of death for settlers during the first years of the English colonies?
- A. Attacks from Spanish soldiers
- B. Wild animal attacks
- C. Shipwrecks near the coast
- D. Starvation and disease
5. What was a primary reason the first English settlers faced extreme hardship in North America?
- A. They had no leaders.
- B. Their ships were too small.
- C. They were unprepared for the harsh climate and unfamiliar farming conditions of the new land.
- D. They ran out of money.
6. The Mayflower Compact and the House of Burgesses are both early examples of what idea?
- A. Self-government
- B. Loyalty to the king
- C. Trading with other nations
- D. Building large cities
7. Which group of settlers created a plan for government called the Mayflower Compact?
- A. The settlers at Jamestown
- B. The colonists at Roanoke
- C. The Pilgrims at Plymouth
- D. The soldiers sent by the king
8. What was the role of the elected leaders in Virginia's House of Burgesses?
- A. To lead religious services
- B. To make laws for the colony
- C. To build forts for protection
- D. To trade goods with England
9. Why did early colonists need to make their own governments?
- A. They wanted to fight the king.
- B. The Native Americans told them to.
- C. They were too far away from the government in England.
- D. They did not have any leaders.
10. What was the main purpose of the Mayflower Compact signed by the Pilgrims?
- A. To declare war on England
- B. To map their journey across the ocean
- C. To promise they would create and obey fair laws
- D. To choose a new king for their colony